Indian U17s Defeat Italy Lega Pro U-17 Representatives In A Warm-Up Match
First entering the 100 club & now India's U-17 Team beats Italy's U-17 Football Team. Way to go @IndianFootball #FIFAU17WC pic.twitter.com/5iHFpa4b8s
— Praful Patel (@praful_patel) May 20, 2017
India’s footballing fan base was in for one of the most pleasant surprises of recent times, as their representatives of the country’s Under-17 National Team created history by pulling off a remarkable victory against an Italian based youth team in a warm up match last night.
The boys from the youth team were on fire, as they took to Italian soil and beat their opponents, a squad consisting of players from the country’s third and fourth footballing tiers, in their own backyard with the scoreline reading 2-0 at full time.
Goals from Abhijit Sarkar and Rahul Praveen led their side to a remarkable win in Arizo, Italy, and it went on to highlight the hard work and efforts that the young guns have been putting together since February, 2013.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup is all set to take place in India in the summer, and with them being the hosts, the side could not have wished for a higher confidence booster, which will also attract the crowds and supporters to believe in them that much more, while also sending a message out to oppositions that might not have been taking them seriously.
India had a lot of chances throughout the match, and with Komal Thatal and Aniket coming close, the break finally came around the half hour mark, after a slice of luck through a wicked deflection saw the away side take the lead.
The result was then confirmed in the latter stages of the second half, when Praveen converted a chance from inside the opposition’s penalty box to double the score.
The match was largely dominated by the team from the Asian continent, and the Indians went on to show that if given the right opportunities and facilities to showcase the potential they carry, printing their name across the globe and doing so in glory is what they are truly capable of.
If this is the sign of things to come, the World Cup will surely be a stage the hosts will be looking to impress on, and it is fair to say, they have the backing of 1.2 billion people bleeding blue.
Written by Vikram Gupta 
An attacker with his words, and defends each of them with pride. A love for the game which goes hand in hand with his will to forever write. A graduate in the course of advertising and a hopeful to be author. Herrera for the win.